Air conditioner



Oct. 13, 1931. c. A. BULKELEY AIR CONDITIONER Filed Aug. 23, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 0612. 13, 1931. Q A, BULKELEY 1,826,921

AIR CONDITIONER Filed Aug. 23, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 AIR CONDITIONER 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 23

Patented Oct. 13, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLAUDE A. BULKELEY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NIAGARA BLOWER COM- PANY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK AIR CONDITIONER Application filed August 23, 1928. Serial No. 301,479.

This invention relates to an air conditioner for maintaining any. desired temperature and relative humidity in the atmosphere of a room, and more particularly to the means whereby the air passing through the air conditioner is initially saturated with water.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an air conditioner having a spray chamber through which the air to be conditioned is forced and saturated with water and in which the air is completely saturated with water in the minimum time, and in which a smaller spray chamber can be employed to saturate a greater quantity of air in a given time. This complete and rapid saturation of the air in general, is accomplished by arranging the sprays to deflect the current of air to traverse a helical or spiral path through the spray chamber by means of which, it has been found, complete saturation of rapidly moving air is obtained in a comparatively small spray chamber, thereby permitting a small and compact air conditioner to be employed to handle greater quantities of air with complete saturation.

A further aimis to provide such a spray chamber which contains no moving parts,

which are likely to get out-of order and in which the spray chamber is substantially unobstructed except for the necessary spray nozzles, these nozzles being arranged out of the path of the current of air traveling through the spray chamber.

By the term complete saturation as herein used, is meant saturation at a temperature within less than one degree F. of the temperature of the air leaving thespray chamber.

Another purpose is to so arrange the inlets and outlets of the conditioner as to expedite the distribution and movement of the air, the inlets for the spray chamber being provided with louvers which initially direct the air into its helical course under the influence of the sprays, anda fan having two outlets being provided for discharging the air from the conditioner.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of an air conditioner embodying my invention. Figure 2 i0 is a top plan View thereof. Figure 3 is an end elevation thereof viewed from the left of Figs. 1 and 2. Figure 4 is an end elevation viewed from the opposite end. Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal section. Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken on line 66, Fig. 1. Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section taken on line'7-7, Fig. 1. Figure 8 1s a fragmentary longitudinal section taken on line 88, Fig. 6, and showing the overflow weir. Figure 9 is a longitudinal section of a ceiling conditioner made in accordance with the present invention.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

The elements directly affecting the air. are housed within a housing or casing 10 through which the air to be conditioned passes, this housing or casing being shown as rectangular in form and composed of a frame of angle irons 11 enclosed by sheet metal side panels 12. The upper end of the casing or housing is closed by a sheet metal top 13 and the lower part of the same is closed by a bottom 14 'which also serves as a pan for receiving the excess water from the sprays and air, for holding an excess of water for recirculation through the sprays.

The spray chamber is arranged in the lower part of the casing or housing and in the conditioner shown this spray chamber is divided into three compartments 15, 16 and 17, each of which contains a separate column of air. These compartments open into or form a continuation of one another, no partitions or other bafiles being provided between the same, the separation of the columns of air being maintained wholly by the action of the sprays thereon.

Air from the room is drawn into each comnartment through inlets 18, two of such inlets being provided for each compartment one arranged on one side of the conditioner and the other on the opposite side, as best shown in Fig. 6, although itis obvious that only one inlet may be provided for each compartment. For the purpose of preventing the water in the spray chamber from splashing out through the inlets 18, removable frames 19 are arra ged over each inlet and each of these frames carries a. plurality of vertical louvers 20. These louvers, as best shown in Fig. 6, are each V-shaped in cross section and the direction in which these louvers point depends on the direction of rotation of the air in the particular compartment which the louver encloses.

Above the spray chamber is arranged a moisture eliminator composed of a removable horizontal frame 21 which carries a plurality of horizontal louvers 22 which extend lengthwise of the casing 10. As best shown in Fig. 7, each of these louvers is of zig-zag shape in cross section and as the moisture laden air from the spray chamber passes between these louvers, it is whipped back and forth and any entrained water is thrown against the sides of the louvers from which it drips back into the spray chamber.

The heater which raises the temperature of the saturated water at its dew point to the desired degree is arranged above the eliminator. As best shown in Fig. 5, this heater includes two headers 23 arranged at one end of the casing and two series of hair pin shaped pipes 24' each of which pipes has one leg secured to one of the headers. Steam or other heating medium is introduced through one of the headers and the condensed water passes out through the other. To insure uniform heating of the air passing the heating pipes 24, the two series are alternately arranged and staggeredrelative to each other so that the air is compelled to traverse a circuitous path in passing the pipes. To increase the transfer of heat to the air, each pipe 24 is also preferably provided with spiral fins 25 each of which extends the full length of each leg.

The air is drawn through the inlets. spray chamber, eliminator, heater, and discharged. from the conditioner by one or more fans, one fan being provided for each compartment of the spray chamber, and hence three being shown. Each of these fans 26 is mounted on a common shaft 27 which, as best shown in Fig. 5, is journaled in ball bearings 28 at the end walls of the casing. These fans may be of any suitable construction and each is arranged within a fan housing 29, these housings being supported from the conditioner casing in any suitable manner. Each of the fan housings is provided on opposite sides around the shaft 27 with eyes 30 through which the air. after passing through the heater, is drawn into the fan housing. To provide for the discharge of the air on the opposite sides of the conditioner, two horizontal outlets 31 and 32 are provided for each fan housing, the larger outlet 31 extending laterally outward from the upper end of the fan housing and the smaller outlet 32 extending outwardly from the lower end thereof and on the opposite side of the conditioner.

In order to control the relative amount of air delivered by these two closures, dampers are provided in each of these outlets. As shown in Fig. 7, the scroll of the fan housing is continued up into the outlet 31 and at its upper edge is pivotally secured a damper which is swung upwardly to restrict the outlet and downwardly to open the same by means of a rod 71. This rod is fastened to the outer edge of the damper 70 and extends out through the outlet 31 and is held in any desired adjusted position in any suitable manner as by a set screw 72 carried by the fan housing.

In a similar manner, the scroll of each fan housing is extended down into the outlet 32 and forms a stop for the upward movement of a flexible damper 7 3 which is hinged to the lower part of the fan housing. This damper is moved into its open and shut positions by a sliding rod 74 which is held in any adjusted position by a set screw 75 carried by the fan housing. The damper 70 of the outlet 31 and the opening controlled thereby is preferably so proportioned that when the damper 70 is open the outlet is capable of discharging all of the air delivered by the fan and when the damper 70 is closed, 50% of the air will be delivered through this outlet. The other outlet opening controlled by the damper 73 is preferably so proportioned that when fully opened 50% of the air delivered by the fan will pass through the outlet 32. In other words, each outlet 3]. is adj ustable to deliver from 50% to 100% of the output of the fan and each outlet 32 is adjustable to deliver from 0 to 50% of theoutput.

By the arrangement of two outlets discharging in opposite directions, it is possible to place the conditioner in the center of a large room and. blow the conditioned air toward the opposite walls. By regulation of the amount of air delivered by opposite outlets'it is possible to place the conditioner in any part of the room and blow the proper amount of conditioned air on either side in accordance with the room area on each side. It is also possible to supply proper amounts of conditioned air for two rooms of different sizes.

The arrangement of nozzles by which the currents of air passing through the several compartments of the spray chamber are deflected to traverse a helical path to secure saturation in a relatively short travel is preferably constructed as follows:

Two horizontal pipes 33 extend longitudinally along opposite sides of the bottom of the spray chamber and are supported by suitable feet 34. These pipes are connected by a cross pipe at one end and are supplied with water through apipe 35 which extends out through the heater casing. Rising from these horizontal pipes 33 at each of the corners of each of the compartments 15, 16 and 17, which compose the spray chamber, is a vertical pipe 36 which vertical pipes extend substantially the full height of the spra chamber and are capped at their upper en s. Each of these vertical pipes carries a series of branch pipes 37 on which the spray nozzles 38 are mountother series and that the nozzles of the four series are in stepped relation or progressively increase in distance from the bottom of the spray chamber, that is, the lowermost nozzle is the lowermost nozzle of series A,

. the lowermost nozzle of series B is slightly higher, the lowermost nozzle of series C is still higher and so on, the nozzles of each compartment being thereby spirally arranged. The nozzles can also be arrangedin circular relation, 'i. e., the corresponding nozzles of each series arranged in the same plane, but this arrangement is not so effective as the helical arrangement shown.

Assuming the air to be entering the lower most inlet 18 of compartment 15, as shown in Fig. 6, the air is first deflected counter clockwise by the louvers 20 and into the influence of the spray from the lowermost nozzles 38 of series A. These sprays deflect the air laterally across the spray chamber where it strikes the spray of the lower nozzles of series B which change its direction, driving it toward the end of the spray chamber and into the sprays from the nozzles of series C which in turn drive it across the end of the spray chamber tothe spray nozzles of series C which deflect it toward the sprays from nozzles A. Without other influences, the air in the compartment would be driven around in the form of a whirling cylinder or column without substantial upward movement, but the upward suction from the fans 26 draws the columns upwardly and the paths of the currents of air through the various compartments of the spray chamber assume true multiple concentric helical paths whirling about the centers of the compartments 15,16 and 17 until the air has passed through the full height of the spray chamber and out past the eliminators at the upper end thereof. It is obvious that the air entering the inlet 18 at the opposite side of the spray chamber is also drawn into the rotating column of air, the louvers 20 in this inlet being disposed to direct the air initially in the op posite direction from .the louvers 011 the opposite side or in the'direction of rotation of.

Iighe air column on that side of the spray cham- Referring to Fig. 6, it will be noted that .the nozzles in the central compartment 16 are arranged to rotate the column of air clockwise orin the opposite direction to the end compartments 15 and 17. By this means, the columns are rotated so as to aid each other, the several columns adjacent their peripheries acting in the manner of interlocking gears and assisting the rotation rather than retarding it as would be the case if they were all rotated in the same direction. This interlocking gear rotation of the different columns of air eliminates the necessity of dividing the spray chamber into partitioned compartments which would increase the expense and also increase the difficulty of repairing or replacing nozzles in the spraychamber. It also permits a conditioner to be made not only in a one fan unit but also in a two fan, t'wo compartment unit, or with any 7 number of compartments and fans, the capacity of the conditioners being approximately directly proportional to the number of units, i. e., a three compartment unit having three times the capacity'of a one compartment unit and fifty per cent more capacity than a two fan unit.

It is also obvious that a conditioner can be made in which two rows of compartments are provided such as a six compartment conditioner two compartments wide and three compartments long. In such a conditioner each compartment is provided with one inlet and the columns of air in each compartemnt are rotated oppositely to the columns of air in the compartments at the sides thereof.

With the sprays arranged. as described, causing the rotation of the air about the centers of the compartments, saturation is obtained in a very short spray chamber. The spray chamber of the conditioner illustrated is about two and one-half feet from the top of the inlet louvers 20 to the eliminator, and only four and one-half feet from the bottom of these louvers, an average distance of three and one-half feet. With this conditioner, the same amount of conditioning of the air from a higher temperature to a lower temperature and vice versa is obtained as can be obtained in the standard spray chamber which is twelve feet long, and has three distinct banks of sprays discharging either with or against the air flow. Also with the helical movement of the air, the average upward speed of the air through applicants three and one-half feet spray chamber is as high in velocity in feet per minute as the velocity whichcan be employed in av standard twelve foot spray chamber. Moreover, no greater quantityof water has to be pumped through the nozzles of this conditioner than is required in the standard twelve foot spray chamber to do an equal amount of work.

As previously indicated. the amount of water removed from or added to the air in passing through the spray chamber is dependent upon the temperature of the spray water, the higher the temperature of the spray water, the higher the temperature of the air leaving the spray chamber, and as this air is saturated, the greater the temperature, the greater the amount of water carried thereby. Means are provided for regulating the spray water temperature and also the heater in response to the conditions of temperature and humidity in the room to be conditioned, which means are preferably constructed as follows:

Any'type of control which regulates the saturated temperature of the air leaving the eliminator and the temperature of the air leaving the unit may be employed, the same forming no part of the present invention. A control suitable for use in connection with the present invention as shown in the drawings is constructed as follows:

The motor 40 which drives the fan shaft 27 also drives an air compressor 41*through a belt drive 42 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. This compressor maintains pressure in a compressed air storage tank 43 which supplies compressed air through a pipe 44 to control instruments comprising a thermostat 45 and a hygrostat 46 or other types of control instruments for this purpose.

The numeral 47 represents a spray water heater connected to the spray system feed pipe 35 which passes into the conditioner housing as shown in Fig. 5, and supplies water to the spray pipe system in the spray chamber. Steam for heating the water passing through this heater is supplied by a steam supply pipe 49 and the steam is controlled by a diaphragm valve 50 which valve is actuated in response to the pressure in a pi e 51 which connects with the hygrostat 46. ater for this heater is withdrawn from the pan or bottom of the spray chamber through a pipe 5:2 by a centrifugal pump 53 and forced into the bottom of the heater through a. pipe 54. The spray water pump is driven by an electric motor 55. In order to introduce cold water into the spray system, a cold water supply pipe 56 connects with the suction of pump 53 and the flow of cold water through this pipe is controlled by a diaphragm valve 57 which valve is controlled by the pressure in the pipe 51. These valves 50 and 57 are so adjusted that the cold water supply valve only opens after the steam valve 50 has cut 0d the supply of steam to the spray water heater.

A constant maximum depth of water in the bottom of the conditioner is maintained by an overflow comprising a weir 58 arranged at one end of the spray chamber. This weir extends across the spray chamber and is equal in height to the desired depth of water. When the depth of water in the bottom of the spray chamber exceeds the height of the weir, it overflows and passes out through a drain pipe 59 at the end of the conditioner. In order to prevent the loss of the water flowing down the end wall of the conditioner adjacent the weir 58, which in the absence of provision to prevent it would pass directly into the weir and out through the drain, an inclined baflle 60 is secured at one side and its ends to the end and side walls of the conditioner, and the water flowing down these walls flows over this baiiie and into the bottom of the spray chamber where it is employed for recirculation as described.

To supply water to the bottom of the spray chamber if it is being withdrawn, any suit able water inlet pipe controlled by a float valve (not shown) may be employed.

In the operation of the spray water temperature Control, the hygrostat is set to maintain the desired humidity. If it is necessary to add moisture to the air, this instrument regulates the air pressure in the pipe 51 to open the diaphragm valve controlling the steam supply to the spray water heater and consequently the spray water circulated by the pump 53 will be heated and the saturated air leaving the spray chamber will be at a higher temperature and have a greater water content. The heat of the spray water definitely controls the amount of water added to the air and hence the hygrostat insures the addition of the definite amount of water required to maintain or obtain the desired. humidity in the room. If it is necessary to condense water out of the air as it passes through the spray chamber, the steam supply valve will be closed by the hygrostat and the diaphragm valve 57 controlling the supply of cold water to the spray system will be opened. As the spray Water under these conditions is colder than the air passing through the spray chamber, the sprays chill the air below its dew point, causing moisture to be condensed out of the air. These two operations do not overlap in passing from adding moisture to removing moisture. The diaphragm valve 50 supplying steam is closed before the diaphragm valve 57 supplying cold water to the pump section is opened. This interval between the operation of the two valves takes place whether going from cold to warm or from warm to cold. By recirculating the water through the spray system an obvious saving results.

Steam for the heater above the eliminator is supplied through a pipe 62to the'uppe'r header of the heater and the supply is controlled by a diaphragm valve 63 which is pneumatically controlled by the thermostat conditioners.

46 through a pipe 64;. As the temperature in the room lowers, the thermostat regulates the pressure in the pipe 64 to open the diaphragm valve 63 and permit steam to enter the heater and heat the air flowing through tor and fan is substantially the same, the fan preferably discharging from the end of the In this form the fan 80 in which a level of water is maintained for recirculation through the spray chamber'is, of course, arranged at the bottom. In this form of the invention it is preferable to have the inlet 81' at the end of the, spray chamber instead of at one side as in the preferred form; the air passing through the inlet 81 and being deflected by the sprays totraverse a helical path. For this purpose, the v 's'haped louvers 82 which are arranged over the inlet 81 and prevent the splashing of spray water out through the inlet are preferably extended inwardly parallel with the length of the conditioner, as shown at 83, so that the air is deflected to follow a straight path into the end of the column of air in the spray chamber.

Instead of end inlets 81, it is also obvious that side inlets with V-shaped louvers can be employed as in the upright construction. When side louvers are used, however, not more than two compartments can be employed since only two sides of the conditioner are available for use as inlets. Any suitable modification in the design and arrangement.

having an inlet at one side and an outlet As a whole this invention is comparatively simple considering the function which it performs, it is extremely compact compared to standard conditioners now in use, and of the same capacity, it completely saturates with water the air passing through the same and thereby insures accurate conditioning of the air' and an accurate maintenance of the temperature and relative humidity of the room into which it discharges.

I claim as my invention:

1'. In agas conditioner, a spray chamber having an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other end, means for forcing a. current of gas through said chamber, a plurality of pipes extending longitudinally along the sides of said chamber, a plurality of spaced branch pipes carried by said longitudinal pipes, a nozzle carried by each of said branch pipes and arranged to direct a spray of fluid along the sides of said chamber, and means for forcing fluid through said pipesand nozzles, said sprays being disposed to deflect said current of gas to traverse a helical path through said chamber.

2. In a gas conditioner, a spray chamber having an inlet at its lower end and an outlet at its upper end, means for forcing a current of gas through said chamber, four oppositely located vertical pipes arranged along the sides of said chamber, av pair of horizontal pipes connected to the lower ends of each pair of vertical pipes, a plurality of nozzles carried by each of said vertical pipes and arranged to direct sprays of fluid toward the next succeeding pipe, and means for forcing fluid through said pipes and nozzles, the nozzles of. each of said vertical pipes being staggered relative to the nozzles of the other pipes whereby the current of gas is deflected to traverse an upward helical path through said chamber.

3.'In a gas conditioner, a spray chamber composed of two or more intercommunicating compartments, means for forcing currents of gas through said compartments, and independent means for deflecting the current of gas in each compartment to traverse a helical path therethrough, said means being arranged to rotate the current of gas in each compartment oppositely to the current of gas in the adjacent compartment.

4. In a gas conditioner, a substantially unobstructed spray chamber, means for forcing a current of gas through said spray chamber, spray nozzles mounted in said spray chamber, and means for forcing fluid through said spray nozzles, said nozzles being arranged to deflect said current of gas to traverse two or more helical columnar paths through said spray chamber, each of said columns being rotated oppositely to the adjacent column.

In a gas conditioner, a spray chamber at one end, means for forcing a current of gas through said chamber, means for deflecting said current of gas to traverse a helical path through said chamber, and louvers provided in said inlet, said louvers being formed to deflect the gas in the direction of rotation thereof in the chamber.

6. In a gas conditioner, a spray chamber having an inlet at one end and an outlet at its other end, a rotary fan housing arranged at said outlet and having its inlet communicating with the outlet of said spray chamber, a rotary fan mounted in said fan housing, two oppositely directed outlets in said fan housing, one of said outlets being larger than the other, a damper in said largeroutlet and movable to reduce the eflective size thereof, means for adjustably holding said damper in any desired position, to vary the efiective size of said larger outlet, a damper in said smaller outlet and movable to close the same, and means for adjustably holding said last named damper in any desired position to vary the effective size of said smaller outlet.

7. In a conditioner for saturating gas with 7 a, liquid, a substantially unobstructed spray chamber havin outlet at the ot er end,-means for forcin a current of gas through said spra cham er from the'inlet to the outlet, a p urality of nozzles arranged in spaced relation circumferentially and longtiudinally throughout the effective length of the spray chamber, means for forcing liquid through said nozzles, said nozzles being disposed to discharge substantially at right angles to'the longitudinal axis of said spray chamber and also disposed to deflect the current of gas to traverse a sustained regular helical ath throughout the entire effective length 0 the spray chamber, said inlet being so disposed as to direct initially the gas entering the spray chamber in a direction conforming to said helical path.

8. In a conditioner for saturating gas with a liquid, a spray chamber having an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other end, means for forcing a current of gas through said chamber, a pipe extending longitudinally within said chamber, a plurality of spaced branch pipes carried by said longitudinal pipe, a nozzle carried by each of said branch pipes, means for forcing liquid through said nozzles, said nozzles being disposed to discharge substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said chamber and also i disposed to deflect the current of as to traverse a sustained regular helica ath throughout the entire effective length of the spray chamber. V

In testimon whereof I aifix my si ature.

LAUDE A. BULKE l EY an inlet at one end and an r 

